Attempting to break any sort of land speed record has some form of risk associated and the more powerful the vehicle used, the higher speed it can achieve, and the more perilous its operation becomes. If that vehicle is a heavily-modified Suzuki Hayabusa, used by motorcycle racer Bill Warner to achieve a top speed of 311 mph or 497 km/h, then that element of danger is very real.
Sadly, after having survived a severe crash last year, from which he had recovered surprisingly quickly, the 44-year old wasn’t so lucky at an event organized at the Loring Air Force Base, in northern Maine, where his bike reportedly veered hard to the right at full throttle, which resulted in a fatal crash.
According to a report from Argusleader, during the first few minutes after the crash, though, he was still conscious and talking to the paramedics, but was pronounced dead around one hour later at a local medical center – this prompted the organizers of the speed event to cancel all runs for the day.
This kind of bad news is to be expected with land speed record breakers, and it is the nature of the job, if you will. It’s an area where no matter how safe you make a vehicle, and no matter how technologically advanced or well-sorted it is, tragedy is sadly just around the corner.
By Andrei Nedelea
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly said the accident took place in Florida. The crash occurred in Limestone, Maine.
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